Oneshot Haven
by Darkened Memories
Summary: Home and haven of my oneshots, 2part stories, and drabbles. Chapter 6 'So Hard to Let Go.' Currently featuring KenshinxKaoru, TomoexAkira.
1. Chapter 1 Coffee and a Date?

Okay, starting a collection of ruroken one-shots. Maybe some drabbles if I can find some that are readable. If anyone has a fav pairing in the series, please mention it in a review and I'll try to get some one-shots with those pairings in them. : )  
**Disclaimer:** Now if Rurouni Kenshin were mine, where would Watsuki-san be? Anyways, not mine so don't sue. XP

**--Coffee and a Date?--**

All Misao wanted to do today was sleep in; but between her annoying alarm clock that refused to take the hint to shut up no matter how many times she pressed the 'snooze' button, and her so-called friend who was downstairs yelling at the top of her lungs, Misao realized that you don't always get what you want.

"Misaoooooooooooooo!" Kaoru's voice yelled impatiently, "Come on! We're going to be late!"

The black haired, sapphire blue eyed young woman tapped her foot in irritation. This was the third time this week! Shaking her head vigorously, causing her long hair to swirl with the movement, she glared up the stairs at the sleepy miscreant who had finally bothered to show up.

Opening her teal blue eyes wearily, she gazed down at the girl waiting at the bottom of the steps.

A large yawn escaped her mouth, "Kaoru, it's six o'clock in the morning-whyin the worlddo I need to be up?"

"Misao, have you forgotten already?" She growled in frustration, "We're needed to do some modeling for Kamatari's new line. He called us last night to remind you about it."

The other woman sat down on the top step, her long ebony braid trailing down the steps to her calves. "Don't you mean _us_?"

"No, I mean _you_."

It was Misao's turn to glare, but as she was still tired she gave it up quickly. Casting a dark look over her shoulder as she stood up, "Just give me a minute to grab my stuff and change."

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The girls finally arrived at the large twenty-five story building in which they worked. Kaoru had insisted on driving since Misao was half asleep.

After flashing the guards their badges, she drove down to the parking spaces.

"I'm so glad that we're high enough up there to finally get our own parking space!" Kaoru smiled happily as she parked.

"Yeah, well, if Kamatari tries to get me into that neon pink and blue thing his niece created again-I'll consider taking up that other guy's contract offer." Misao's face had distaste written all over it.

"Come on, it wasn't _that_ bad." Kaoru glanced down at the petite woman.

"Yes it was, and there's no way you could truthfully say that!" she glared, kicking at a flattened soda can, "It looked like a five year old had some gruesome shades of two nice colors and went to work on mixing them together onto a white dress!"

A laugh erupted from Kaoru. She held her sides tightly as she nearly fell over from her laughing fit.

A disgruntled looking Misao walked quickly past her companion, her long braid swaying haughtily behind her. "Laugh all you want! Next time that man pulls something like that, I'll make sure _you're_ volunteered!"

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Kamatari looked up from his many pictures and papers that he had been discussing with his group of photographers about, and saw the girls enter.

"There's my favorite girls!" he smiled as he walked briskly forward and hugged them both. Looking from one to the other with a slightly confused look on his face, "What on earth are you doing here so early?"

At Misao's look he hastened to add, "Of course you know I love you two darlings being here, I was simply curious as to why you're hereso early." Kaoru had already started to turn and run at this point. Even being the girl's best friend wouldn't save her right now.

He stepped backwards quickly as Misao released an ear-splitting scream, "Kaoru! I'm going to _kill_ you!"

A security guard stepped up quickly, "Kamatari-san, should we stop them?"

Kamatari shook his head no, a weary smile pasted on his face, "No, they never do hurt each other. I'm just worried about how much energy they'll have left for the shoot."

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Twenty minutes and forty-five seconds later, Misao had walloped Kaoru with several of Kamatari's 'failures' as he had dubbed them. These included many different types of dresses, skirts, shirts, etc. Misao had found out years ago that if you balled them up just right, they made excellent things to pummel her 'friend' with.

Kamatari sighed with relief as he noted the time, it was almost eight minutes faster than the last time. Apparently Misao had had her beauty sleep disrupted, meaning Kaoru was in for it later.

"Darlings! I need you over here! We're ready to start the shoot!"

Both of the young woman half-ran back to where Kamatari stood.

"Sorry about that." Kaoru panted slightly.

Misao glared accusingly, "You _should_ be."

Kamatari shook his head, these girls were a handful, but the two were the best he had. So everyone merely learned to live with their antics.

"All right! Dressing rooms over there, we're going to do the summer apparel first. Let's move it, darlings!" he shooed them towards the dressing room.

Misao glared darkly at Kaoru as she passed.

Figuring it was time to make amends, Kaoru tried to give her best sparkly eyed 'I'm sorry' look.

"No way is that going to work on me! I'm not your boyfriend, and to be honest-I have no clue how in the world Himura falls for that." the girl huffed in annoyance.

Running her hand through her bangs, Kaoru shrugged, "Well, I figured if I got you up early that we might actually be on time."

She received another glare, "I'm sorry, okay? I'll make it up to you!"

Misao's eyes gleamed, "I want you to take me to that new pastry shop and let me get as many as I want, on your tab."

Kaoru smiled, sometimes Misao's sweet tooth came in handy. "Deal."

They shook hands and parted ways.

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Kamatari was extremely happy. Everything was going well, and Kaoru and Misao were working their magic.

He swore that he had never had any other models before that looked as good in pictures as they did in real life. These two were a rare specimen, people he'd keep no matter what. The business had boomed greatly since they had come to work for him.

A pleased smile crossed his face as he watched the two girls pose in his latest trends.

"Get rid of the braid and ponytail!" he yelled.

Misao nodded and undid it quickly, letting a stream of silky, wavy hair cascade around her like a waterfall. Kaoru shrugged and tugged out the elastic band, causing her raven black hair to spill around her as well.

Yep, he had no better models than these two.

After everyone had finished with the summer apparel, Kamarari took note of how beat everyone looked. "Okay everyone, take ten!"

Misao dashed from the set and settled down in her chair. She had a thing for chairs with her name on it, so Kamatari had gotten her one a while back. She settled down happily on it.

Someone walked by, "Excuse me, Misao-san, can I get you anything?"

She nodded, "Yeah, coffee and whatever fruit Kamatari has for us today."

The person nodded and rushed off.

Kamatari was such a great boss, Misao mused as she watched the people walk by. She laughed quietly as she saw Kaoru spot her red-headed boyfriend. They made such a nice looking couple, and too bad Himura's a guard instead of a model. His hair and eyes would _really_ get some attention.

Then of course, Kaoru would have tobeat off evenmore women who tried to get to him. It was bad enough right now, if he became famous in that line of work, Kaoru would spend all her waking moments keeping her man away from the crazy fans.

She smirked, while it would be funny, she wouldn't wish it upon her.

Kamatari walked up to her quickly, "Misao, you're going to be in the gown shots-meaning you have a longer break than I originally gave you." he added the last part on at her confused expression.

"Okay, thanks!"

"No problem, darling." he waved as he turned back to work.

Misao sighed and settled down in the chair, where was her coffee and fruit? She needed to eat something since Kaoru had dragged her out the door so early.

"Excuse me, miss." her nose caught the wonderful energy-giving smell of coffee before her ears caught the person's voice.

So cold and deep, like the ocean. She gazed up into ice blue eyes and almost gasped.

This was one of Himura's friends, the one she had jokingly pointed out to Kaoru as the man she wanted to get to know. Kami-sama, was this going to be something she'd be grateful for later, or an embarrassing situation that she would wish had never happened? Aoshi Shinomori was well-known to be a hard man to get, and even if you got him-you could never keep him. Still, she wanted to try for herself.

Misao took the coffee and thanked him prettily. Her stomach rumbled loudly after she took a sip of the hot liquid. Blushing madly, she covered her stomach with an arm to try to muffle the sound.

Noticing one of his eyebrows arch, she offered him a half-smile, "My friend dragged me out of the house before I could get breakfast." She cocked her head to the side, her long locks spilling over her neck and shoulders, "Do your friends do that to you too?"

"Aa." he replied, then reached into one of his coat pockets and drew out a small package from its depths.

"Would you like a date?"

"What!" Misao's face felt like it was on fire, she hardly spoke to the man and here he was asking her out?

"A date." he repeated, looking faintly amused at her expression. Guessing correctly as to where her thoughts had taken her, he held the package up for her to read.

"Oh." she said in a tiny voice, feeling very stupid as she read the label. Also feeling very disappointed in the fact that he hadn't asked her out. She lowered her head, but not before Aoshi could see the emotions warring in her eyes. Disappointment raged against embarrassment, and it seemed to be a tie.

A small smirk played about his lips, "Misao."

She looked up, her face still a bright pink from embarrassment.

"Would you like to go _on_ a date?"

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**--END NOTES--**

Couldn't resist adding the fluff, lol. Haven't really done that in a while, so it's a nice change of pace. Hope you guys didn't find it a boring read, please review and tell me what you think of it! Also, again-if you have a favorite couple that you'd like to see amongst the future one-shots, please review and tell me.


	2. Chapter 2 Two Halves of a Whole

I'd like to thank **Blackartemis **for reviewing the first chapter of this story and several chapters of _'Who Needs to be Saved?'_ Thank you so much!  
**Disclaimer:** Don't own so don't sue-you really wouldn't get much anyway.

**--Two Halves of a Whole--**

The darkened skies were violently ripped open by the jagged flashes of hot white lightening. Rain dripped down from the gaping wounds caused, filling the dark streets beneath. Tall dark, sentinel-like buildings stood row upon row, presenting an intimidating spectacle to the viewer. Smaller buildings shoved against each other, trying in vain to create more room for themselves. The streets and sidewalks were covered with litter of all sorts and both looked equally worse for the wear that the past eighty-two years had brought them. Covered in pot-holes, some deep and some small, you would have to be extremely careful as you walked down these roads to avoid tripping or falling.

Unfortunately for Kamiya Kaoru, today she was just not being careful. Fortunately she almost tripped over a small pothole, causing her to merely lose a tiny portion of her balance. Which was just enough to cause her to fall as she over-balanced when seeking to correct herself, the momentum forcing the girl backwards onto the street to land with a small splash of rain water.

Cursing softly, she stood up quickly and tried to brush off some of the water. Her old, tattered coat was soaking wet along the bottom, though considering the rain, it never was really dry to begin with. Her worn and patched skirt was in the same sopping condition as her coat, but fortunately her blouse wasn't wet. At least, it wasn't too wet in the areas the her jacket hadn't been soaked through.

Clinging to a tiny purse that looked like it had seen better days at least five years ago, Kaoru tried to be a little more careful in her steps.

She glared up at the sky as another bolt of lightning and roar of thunder caused her to jump. "Stupid weather, stupid teachers, stupid-" she never finished her list as she stopped to stare at something that floated soggily down.

Before the wind could blow it out of reach, like it had done to her hat earlier, she reached out and caught it deftly between her thumb and forefinger. It was a feather, but it wasn't like the ones that she saw everyday. It was almost as long as her skirt, which started at her waist and ended right above her knees, and it was black, silky, even being damp it was a pretty feather.

Smacking herself upside the head mentally, she stuffed the feather as best she could into her purse and continued walking. If she wanted to make it home before night fell, she'd have to rant about the feather at home.

Rushing along, she failed to notice a pair of violet-amber swirled eyes watching her from atop one of the many roofs.

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Minutes later found Kaoru climbing wearily up the steps of an apartment complex. The cement steps looked unpleasant and cold, just another reminder of why she wanted to leave.

Entering the building, she marched quickly to the stairs and began climbing them, wincing slightly at every creak and groan it issued forth.

As soon as that flight of stairs ended, she turned and began on the next. Her room was located at the very top of the building, which meant it was less expensive as most people were not willing to walk all the way to the top. The apartment complex didn't have an elevator, not like they'd be able to use it even if it was there.

Disgruntled, tired, and stressed, Kaoru needed the one thing that always managed to get her through the day... a large cup of dark, steaming coffee. She dropped her purse and coat on the floor and made her way to the tiny kitchen.

Deciding on instant coffee, the one luxury she could afford herself, she waited impatiently for the microwave to finish. Feeling extremely grateful to her old neighbors for having left her the appliance when they had left the city, she bent forward and dropped her head onto the counter. Drumming her fingers impatiently on the same counter, she watched as the seconds ticked down.

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

A loud crash of thunder startled her as she was expecting the beeping sound of her microwave timer instead.

Deciding to postpone her coffee for a minute, she walked over to the somewhat dirty glass door that led to a tiny balcony. She ran delicate fingers that hard work had not yet managed to corrupt, over the balcony's rusty iron rail.

Another blinding flash of lightning and a cacophony of thunder erupted directly overhead. The raven-haired beauty jumped and thought that right now was a really good time to get back to her coffee.

A soft sound behind her erased these thoughts and caused the hair on the back of her neck to rise.

She turned around slowly, sapphire-blue eyes wide in her pale face. A muffled shriek ripped itself from her throat as she saw what stood before her.

A man with large midnight blue wings that contrasted sharply albeit pleasantly to his pale skin and flaming red hair. Violet-amber swirled eyes regarded her with an expression Kaoru didn't want to contemplate. Not right now anyway. Letting her gaze drop to his clothing, she noticed he wore a long sleeved black shirt-the top three or four buttons unbuttoned. 'Which meant he's got an ego.' Kaoru mused silently as her gaze wandered lower. Tight fitting black pants with a wide belt and silver chain completed his attire.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, -Kaoru couldn't quite decide which- that... man blocked the entrance to her tiny apartment. That was not acceptable.

And that look in his eyes was completely unacceptable as well. Anger flared high causing her eyes to turn a stormy blue shade. "Excuse me, I'd like you to move." her voice didn't come out as strongly as she wished, but when faced with a man with wings, you have to cut a girl a break.

A lazy smile crossed his lips as he moved forward slightly, "Why should I?"

Kaoru shivered at the sound of his voice, so dark and rich like honey yet it held a dangerous tint to it as well. "Because I said so!" 'There, that came out just right!'

He looked amused at her aggressive stance and angry eyes. "Hmm, but I really don't feel like it."

The raven-haired beauty looked almost ready to kill, why was he being so aggravating? It's not like she had done anything to him!

Almost as if he had read her thoughts, he smirked slightly and replied, "Not to me personally, but it seems that you've been hiding for far too long, Kamiya Kaoru."

Startled, she clutched weakly at the rail for support. 'Who the heck is this guy, and what does he know?' Her heart sped up and her breath grew ragged as she saw him unsheathe a katana.

He lunged forward, the bright blade flashing eerily in the steady downpour.

Kaoru screamed and covered her face with her arms. She was unarmed and defenseless, nothing she had been taught would let her escape that fire-haired demon. Closing her eyes tightly, she braced herself for the oncoming strike.

A sickening gurgle sounded from behind her, she could feel something hot and sticky splatter her skin and clothes. Her eyes flew open as she let her arms drop limply to her sides. Her face flushed as she noticed that she was extremely close to his chest, but that didn't stop her traitorous eyes to notice that it was finely toned. She slid down to her knees, praying he wouldn't notice where her eyes had traveled. Last thing she needed at the moment was for him to think she was interested.

The man stepped back, calmly flicking the blood off his blade, though a mild look of disgust at the creature crossed his face for a moment.

Kaoru looked around wildly for a weapon, something she could use to get away. She had been running for almost ten years now, and she wasn't about to let this man take her without a fight.

The man smirked again, "You can't fight me."

That smirk was really starting to grate on Kaoru's temper.

"How dare you, you arrogant-" she stopped as she felt something call her. Call her soul. Her eyes gleamed silver giving her an ethereal appearance.

"What are you doing?" she whispered hoarsely, fear written all over her face.

The man kneeled down to look her in the eyes, "Lady Kaoru, one of the ancients, born with the ability todestroy and to heal-not to mention whatever experiment they tried to do to you before you escaped-you do know that you're an extremely wanted woman, right?"

Kaoru let her gaze drop to her lap, fear constricted her heart and throat tightly, "What do you want?"

"I'm simply here to repay a debt."

"I won't go with you, I can't go back there!" she yelled, hear eyes wide with fear and anger, "Do you know what they did to me! You can't take me back there, I won't let you!" Balling up her fists, she rushed him and tried to at least render him unconscious.

She didn't really want to hurt him, not until she asked him how he could call her like that. She was sure it was him.

Unprepared for what happened next, Kaoru was stunned and flabbergasted at the man's actions.

Large black wings enveloped her on either side, one of his arms had wrapped itself about her waist, pulling her petite body close to his. The other arm neatly and effectively blocked her punch. His lips covered her in a searing kiss.

To say she was shocked would have been the understatement of the century. This was very unexpected, and though originally unwanted, Kaoru found herself melting in his arms.

He pulled back, that darn smirk still in place. "My name is Himura Kenshin, your father-before he...died, asked me to watch over you."

"Guardian angel." Kaoru mused aloud and was surprised at his quiet chuckle.

"Of sorts." he agreed then pulled her gently inside the house.

Kaoru's mind was whirling, she had already heard of her father's death-so that wasn't such a great shock.

The bigger shock was him, this Himura Kenshin.

"How were you able to call me?" she demanded, unafraid now that she knew he wouldn't turn her over to her persuers.

"You should know that already, Kaoru." his eyes bored into hers as she stared at him.

Kaoru shook her head, puzzled at his words.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten." he asked, the tone sounding almost exasperated.

Moving faster than the blink of an eye, he had grabbed her hand and put it against his, palm against palm. Interlacing their fingers, he watched calmly as a mark began to appear on the back of his hand.

Kaoru stared openmouthed at the symbol on the back of her hand. "No..." she breathed as she studied the crescent moon and star mark on the back of her hand.

"Two halves of a whole." Kenshin stated softly, as he too studied the mark on the back of his hand.

"But, I-this is-you can't-" she stuttered, feeling helpless-and Kamiya Kaoru did not like feeling helpless.

"You are mine and I am yours, Kaoru." he almost purred, a wicked gleam forming in his eyes.

She backed away quickly, "Don't even think about touching me!" Though, she wouldn't quite mind. Considering the fact that if he was that good at kissing, he should be good at other things too.

'Bad Kaoru!' she slapped herself mentally.

Kenshin noted where her thoughts were going, and decided to save it for later. They had more important things to discuss right now.

"Kaoru, many lives are at stake here. They need their king and queen to free them from that tyrant's rule."

"What!" Kaoru's mouth dropped open. "Fat chance! Look, Kenshin was it? I can't do this, sorry. You need to find someone else."

Kenshin grabbed her arms to prevent her from walking out the door.

"Whether or not you care for it, you are of noble blood. Start acting like it." he hissed.

"I don't care." she glared menacingly at him.

"You will." his voice was hard with promise.

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**--END NOTES--**

Okay, this was just a random idea that wouldn't leave me alone until I typed it out. Hopefully it isn't too bad...


	3. Chapter 3 Red Satin Dancin' Dress

**Disclaimer:** No, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or Reba McEntire's song _**'Fancy.'  
**_Oh, and to those of you who wish to see **'Two Halves of a Whole'** made into a complete story, I'm working on that one right now, so that should be posted as it's own story soon. : )

**-Red Satin Dancin' Dress-**

Misao walked home in a miserable state of mind. Her father had used both her mother's and her hard-earned money to go out drinking again. Doubtless he had taken the last bit this night, and maybe he had left for good this time. He had kept telling them he would leave for the past two weeks.

Knowing him, he'd leave as soon as the last penny had gone for beer.

Dragging her worn out sneakers along the sidewalk she hoisted her tiny bag higher up on her shoulder, pretending that she was going home to a nice home-cooked meal, warm house, and happy family.

As if.

She wondered why her mother bothered to stay, why she let him do those things to her family. Shaking her head, she put away those thoughts. They weren't something she needed to ponder on right now.

A car rolled by then stopped near her. "Hey, Misao!" a cheery female voice called.

Misao looked up and plastered a smiling face on. "Hey guys! What's up?"

One of her few friends at school, a pretty girl named Kaoru sighed and rolled her eyes dramatically. She leaned out of the passenger window a little to give Misao the full view of her perfected pout, "That old bat made me stay late again! I have my part down perfectly, but he claims that the others need to catch up to my level."

"Poor baby." a senior named Megumi mocked from the backseat. "At least you didn't have to help clean up afterwards."

"Yeah, we 'bout broke our poor backs hauling all that crap from off the stage." Megumi's boyfriend complained loudly, running his hand through his wayward brown hair.

"It wasn't that bad, Sano, that it wasn't." Kenshin's mild voice came from the driver's seat. The college student was the only responsible person in that vehicle who remained so under all circumstances.

Misao grinned, there was no way on earth that Kenshin would let any of those irresponsible kids drive his car... with the exception of Megumi. Though she was an aggressive driver at times, so maybe not even her.

"Laugh at us, why don't you?" Kaoru pretended to weep, "I worked my hands to the bone while I was there."

Sano glared at the young actress, "You only acted! We were the ones who had to really work!"

"Acting is too work, isn't that right, Kenshin?" Kaoru turned to her fiery haired boyfriend for assistance.

"Hai, it is."

"See?" Kaoru stuck her tongue out at the rooster in triumph.

"Whatever." Sano leaned back into his seat and turned his attention to the petite girl shifting from one foot to the other on the sidewalk. "We're going to the movies, you want to come?"

Misao shook her head, causing her long ebony braid to whip back and forth, "Sorry, got things to do at home."

"Too bad, you want some help with your chores or something? We'd love to have you come with." Megumi volunteered the group.

"Nah, that's okay. Got some homework to catch up on too." she waved goodbye and trudged off, her mask still in place.

"Bye then!" Kaoru yelled after the girl's retreating figure.

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Muffled sounds of crying could be heard through the battered wooden door.

Misao fingered the peeling faded white paint, unwilling to simply walk into her house. Taking a deep breath, she grasped the battered copper knob, turned it and walked inside.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light. The wailing continued, it was probably her baby brother. Walking down the narrow hall, she searched for her mother.

There were only two rooms in the rundown house-not counting the bathroom/shower-so she had to be in one or the other. She wondered how long it would be until they were kicked out of the house. They hadn't had money to pay the rent or utilities, or even groceries since her father had blown it all while drinking.

Her hands clenched in anger at the thought. The continued wailing of her sibling brought her attention back from the dark thoughts that had begun to envelop her mind.

A rustling sound could be heard in the room she shared with her brother. He had finally quieted down, so Misao poked her head around the doorway cautiously.

Her mother's thin pinched face could be seen while she crooned over her brother. The girl sighed at the sight of her mother, recalling the days when her mother had been a real beauty. She had been pretty enough to be a model, but she gave up that to marry her father. What she had seen in him, Misao had no clue.

She gasped audibly as she saw what had made the rustling noise.

There, on that tiny thin mattress on the floor she called her bed, she saw a beautiful red satin dress. It was like the color of the sunset's fire, with tiny spaghetti straps at the top. It appeared to be floor length with a long slit up the side. A pair of matching high-heeled shoes were beside it.

Her mother looked up at the gasp the girl had let out. A smile flickered about her lips as she bade the girl to come forward. "It's for you, Misao-chan."

"But, Momma, we can't afford this!" she knelt down beside her mother and tentatively stroked the satin in awe.

"We can't." her mother agreed softly, "But, Misao-chan, you need it."

Teal blue eyes became wide and stared at her mother, "What for? The prom's a ways off still."

"Put it on first."

The girl nodded, then hurriedly peeled out of her clothes and put on the dress. Her mother slowly stood up and helped her to zip up the back zipper. Strapping on the shoes carefully, she gingerly stepped around then admired how they looked on her slim feet.

The woman knelt down again and looked for something amongst the covers. Misao was about to turn and see her reflection in the long mirror her mother had kept since her marriage when her mother stopped her. "Wait a moment, Misao-chan."

She paused and waited, a curious expression crossed her features, "What's going on?"

Her mother didn't answer, but opened a tiny makeup case and began applying makeup to her daughter's youthful face.

After several minutes, and painstaking care, her mother undid Misao's braid and brushed her fingers through it in lieu of a comb. "You can look now."

Misao gasped once again, as she stared at her reflection. What had moments ago reflected a soon-to-be graduate, now reflected a woman. "Momma-"

"Don't say anything, Misao-chan." her mother's serious tone brooked no argument. "Listen to me, here's your only chance to get out of here." Tears filled her eyes as she dabbled perfume on the young woman's neck. "Your father's gone and left us, I'm really sick, and chances are the baby's going to starve to death."

"But-"

Her mother cut her off again, "Here's your one chance, Misao, don't let me down."

She put a locket into the girl's trembling hand. At close inspection, Misao could make out the words: 'To thine own self be true.'

Misao jumped a little as a roach ran across her shoe, 'Darn those stupid things! Never will get used to them.'

"What do I do, Momma?" she was slightly startled at what she asked, it seemed like someone else was talking.

"Just be nice to the gentlemen, Misao, and they'll be nice to you." she wiped away a tear as she gazed at her daughter, "Lord, please forgive me for what I'm doing-but if you want out Misao, it's up to you. Don't let me down, you have to move up in the world."

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Later that night, Misao walked slowly out of the house her baby brother clutched firmly to her fast-beating heart. Her mother had died in her sleep, and she just didn't have the heart to leave her brother. "Maybe Kaoru can take care of you for a while." Misao whispered softly to the sleeping infant. She knew what she had to do, and while she was afraid-if there was no better option, then she'd do it.

She couldn't disappoint her mother.

Twenty minutes later found a slightly tired Misao and baby on Kaoru's doorstep. She both knocked and rang the bell, remembering that Kaoru had mentioned during school that her parents were out of town that week.

A sleepy disheveled tanuki answered the door. Rubbing at her eyes wearily, she stared at the woman-child in front of her. "M-Misao?"

"Yes, it's me, could you please take care of my brother for tonight? I promise I'll sign an IOU or whatever you want!" Misao begged.

"Don't worry about it," Kaoru yawned as she took the baby, "where are you headed?"

"Out." was the girl's only answer, a grim look falling upon her features. "I'll be back for him tomorrow, thank you so much, Kaoru!" With that, she ran off into the darkness, her long ebony hair floating like a cloud behind her.

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She promised herself that she would make herself a good life, she wouldn't let her mother or brother down.

With that thought in mind, she took a deep breath and prepared to march into the dance club. She had hitched rides all the way through town to get here, she couldn't turn back now.

Steeling her badly scattered nerves, she prepared to march inside when she was surprised by the sight of a man staggering out of the club.

Misao studied his features, he seemed to be very attractive with a low tolerance for alcohol. A slight smile played about her lips, here was the one she was going to tackle tonight-if he was drunk, he wouldn't know if he took her to bed or not. Better for her.

"Hey, mister!" she shouted, a little alarmed as he tried to fall face-forward onto the cement. Running as fast as her shoes would let her, she partially caught him, saving him from a nasty greeting from the sidewalk.

"Hey, missy, could you take care of my pal for tonight?" A large muscular man appeared at the entrance and made his way towards the two.

"Huh?" was her oh-so-intelligent reply.

"Could you take him to his house and take care of him for tonight? Here's a fifty, that should be enough for your troubles. His car's got the directions and everything, so here's the key and thanks a lot." with that he turned and jogged back inside the building. Blaring music rent the near-silence for a minute, and then all was quiet again.

Misao stared at the keys and fifty in her free hand, the other being occupied in grasping onto the man's shirt to prevent him from slipping down further.

"Well, why not?" she half dragged him to the car, managed after many minutes to push him in, then settled down herself.

She found that the car had a ton of gadgets on the inside. Managing to make the center machine spout out directions to his house, she focused on getting there in one piece.

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Twenty minutes later found a tired Misao dragging the partially unconscious man up the stairs of his house. She felt extremely thankful that he didn't have an apartment, that would have been a nightmare.

She fumbled with the keyring and tried to find the right key. "How many keys do you need!" she growled at the man after the fifth try. Finally, on the twelfth try, she managed to find the right key. Kicking the door open, she found herself unrepentent at the tiny footprint her shoe had left on the clean door.

Tugging him inside, she retrieved the keys, then closed and locked the door behind her. She glanced down at the man who lay sprawled on the floor and sighed in resignation. She looked around and found his living room was closer than his bedroom. Deciding to take off her shoes, she set them carefully down by the door, then turned and began to drag the man towards the large couch in his living room.

Panting heavily, she tried to heave him up onto the couch, and failed miserably. Instead, she settled for propping him up against the couch. Completely worn out at this point, she sat next to him and settled back against the couch. As she fell asleep, she failed to notice how she snuggled into his warmth, pillowing her head on his broad shoulder. She would figure out what she was to do after she got a good night's sleep.

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**--END NOTES--**

You can guess who the man is, ne? If not, it's Aoshi. Based on Reba McEntire's song **_'Fancy.' _**Please review and tell me what you think please!


	4. Red Satin Dancin' Dress PartII

Based on Reba McEntire's song '**_Fancy'_**, and I don't own that or **_Rurouni Kenshin_**. XP Too bad...

Sorry everyone! I had planned on making this a two-shot to begin with, then forgot to mention that little detail, heh. Then I debated on whether or not to leave it as is, until EcstasyofSesshoumaru threatened to kill me with kunai, lol.  
Anyways, now you won't want to kill me! -hopefully- And apologies if anyone finds any spelling errors, I'm working on a lot of different stories at the moment... so it's hard to try to find all the flaws in everything.  
This is the final part of the story, and it should make everyone happy with how it ends. : ) If not, then I can't help it.

**Note:** If anyone has a fav song they'd like to see in a story here, please either review and tell me or send a message. X) I'm having troubles deciding on a new song to work with, so I'll let you all pick something.

* * *

**-Red Satin Dancin' Dress-PartII-**

The first thing Misao noticed when she awoke was a lack of warmth and the sound of someone retching miserably. Wrinkling her nose, she stood up tiredly and stretched, trying to loosen up stiff muscles. 'Sleeping on the floor wasn't such a good idea.' she thought dejectedly, surveying the wrinkled satin.

After walking around a little bit, she spotted the kitchen around a corner. Walking into it, she admired the appliances and counters, everything screaming the fact that the man had to be rich. Peering into the cupboards, she tried to find where he kept his glasses and cups. Finally, after a few tries, she found it. Grabbing a glass, she filled it with tap water and trudged to the bathroom-extremely thankful that he had finally stopped as it had been making her feel ill as well.

Grabbing a hand towel from the sink counter, she kneeled down beside the poor man and tapped his arm.

The man glanced at her, his ice blue eyes looking somewhat bloodshot behind a curtain of messy black bangs. Misao handed him the towel, "Here, I don't know where you keep the tylenol, so..." she trailed off as he wearily pointed towards a small cupboard on the bathroom's wall.

Misao quickly stood up and opened the cabinet. To her surprise, it was neat and organized-a big difference from the rest of the male population she had met... with the exception of Kenshin, of course.

"Wow, you're as organized as Himura." she laughed softly, remembering to keep her voice down as she doled out two pills into her palm. Replacing the bottle, she gave both the glass and the pills to the man. Receiving them gratefully, he downed the tylenol and water in one gulp then quickly cleaned up his face using the towel.

"Are you okay?" she asked, sounding worried.

Aoshi looked up and took in the young woman's appearance. Certain thoughts crossed his mind, and he hurriedly shoved them back into the depths from which they came. Cursing his so-called friends for spiking his drink, he stood up slowly. Figuring either Han'nya or Shikijo had given the woman his keys, he figured he might as well thank her for taking him home.

Well, he had planned on thanking her until he almost toppled over on top of her. Grunting an apology, he managed to catch himself before falling over. He was starting to really hate low-alcohol tolerance.

Misao almost laughed at the way he looked, then prepared herself to move quickly as it seemed that he was about to fall over. Fortunately she didn't have to worry about that; but the man didn't seem able to stand on his own two feet at the moment, much less look up to moving back to the living room.

Heaving a small sigh, she silently offered to help him. He relunctantly used her as a human crutch in order to get to the couch without toppling over.

After helping him sink down onto the couch, Misao tried smoothing down her wrinkled dress-very well aware of the man's eyes upon her slim form. "So... what's your name?" she smiled brightly, trying to break the ice.

He was silent for a few minutes, and when the girl had started to think that she had offended him somehow, he finally answered quietly, "Shinomori Aoshi."

A relieved smile spread across her youthful face, "I'm Makimachi Misao, nice to meet you, Aoshi-sama."

A faintly puzzled look appeared in his ice blue eyes at the suffix attached to his name, he remained quiet.

Misao nervously shifted from one bare foot to the other, unsure of what to do next. Her mother had never warned her of what to do with a man that wouldn't talk to her, she always warned her of those that did. "Ummm..." suddenly she remembered Kaoru and her brother, "Do you mind if I borrow your phone?"

Aoshi began to shake his head no, but as the tylenol had only begun to kick in, he thought better of it. "No." waving towards the direction of the object, he sank further back down into the couch and watched as she bounded off. The man prayed that the medicine would work faster, and contemplated what he was going to do to his 'friends' for revenge.

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"Kaoru!" Misao wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry with relief that the girl had picked up the phone.

"Hello? Misao, is that you?" Kaoru's voice sounded somewhat tired.

"Yes, do you think you could keep my brother just a little while longer?" at that question, she jerked the phone away from her ear as Kaoru yelled at her.

"What! Do you realize he kept me up all night! You're lucky it's Saturday, and that Kenshin's here! I swear, only he was able to calm the kid down-not even Megumi could!"

Shock and surprise appeared all over Misao's face, "You had Megumi come over for that?"

"What was I supposed to do? I've never dealt with an infant all night before! I thought he was sick!"

"I'm really sorry, Kaoru! But I just can't get him right now."

"..." a pause at the other end of the line made Misao worried, "All right, but you owe us big time. Kenshin says he'll look after your brother for as long as you need to be out."

"Thank you, Kaoru, and please tell Kenshin I said thanks as well!"

"Okay, bye."

"Bye." Misao hung up and slumped against the wall in relief. At least Himura was really good with kids. Not to say Kaoru wasn't, but like she had said-she had never dealt with them all night before.

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Aoshi couldn't help but hear Misao's half of the conversation, and felt slightly puzzled. Apparently the woman was much younger than she looked, and he began to wonder what she would look like without her makeup on. At that last thought, Misao walked back into the room.

"Thank you for letting me use your phone." she thanked him politely, remembering what her mother had said. As he remained silent, Misao began to feel last night's events taking its toll upon her emotions. She hadn't had time to mourn her mother, or even decide what she was going to do. Swallowing back a lump that formed in her throat, she was surprised to see Aoshi stand up.

He placed a hand on her should and looked down at her, "Are you okay?" It didn't hurt to ask, but Aoshi hadn't been prepared for her to throw her arms about him and begin to sob into his chest. He gently put his arms about her and drew them both to the couch.

He rubbed her back, waiting for the tears to stop. Aoshi couldn't help but wonder what had caused that reaction, she seemed to be the kind of woman who typically cried over everything.

Misao tried to cease the wracking sobs that shook her body. She couldn't help it, the world was just so wrong at the moment. But, she was comforted by the feeling of strong arms about her petite body-at least she had that for right now. Dabbing at her eyes with the back of her hand, she was relieved to find that her mascara wasn't completely ruined. Looking up, she was about to apologize when teal eyes met ice blue eyes and time seemed to freeze. The next thing she knew, she was locked in a mind-blowing kiss that swept away all thoughts of her worries and troubles.

As he deepened the kiss, Misao moaned softly into his mouth. The sensation was something she'd never forget, and she felt very glad that her first kiss was taken by this man. Moving from her mouth to her neck, he planted butterfly kisses along her neck until he came to her collarbone. Misao squeaked in surprise as he nipped it, then moaned again as he trailed his tongue over the same area.

Aoshi paused in his activities to gaze up at the woman-child's face. Gauging her reaction, he judged her to still be a virgin. No anticipation could be seen in her teal eyes, just surprise and pleasure written clearly in the placid depths. He moved back to her mouth to give her one last kiss before he sat up.

Misao sat up as well, feeling dizzy. 'That man sure knows how to kiss!' was the only coherent thought that came to her mind. Her eyes locked with his again, then was surprised to hear him ask what was wrong.

Over the course of the next few minutes, she spilled her story. She was never one to really tell her friends anything personal-much less a stranger-but for some reason, she felt like she could trust him.

Aoshi sat back and thought for a while. He debated over several things, namely whether or not to ask the girl to stay with him. Everyone who knew him would always say how calm and rational he was-how he would never do something without seriously pondering it first. Why not do something irrational for once? She was beautiful, caring, and he found himself immediately attracted to her. His friends were always telling him that he needed a wife, and it couldn't hurt to ask, right?

"Wait here." Misao glanced up in surprise as he stood up quickly and made his way to the back of the house. 'Probably his bedroom,' the girl mused as she kicked her heels against the bottom of the couch.

Within five minutes, Aoshi was back and seated next to her. He took her left hand and slipped a delicate silver ring embedded with a large sapphire with diamond accents on her ring finger. She gasped at it, then looked at his face, "What?"

He sensed her confusion and decided to tell her his plan, "Misao, you could stay here with me, you and your brother."

"But I-"

"I know I haven't known you for even a full day yet, but there's something inexplicable about you that makes me need to be with you."

Misao knew he was serious, that reflected in his ice blue eyes and tone. She thought it over, she and her brother would have a home-that alone would be worth it. And considering what her mother had told her to do, this was by far a better route. Also, considering how attracted she was to him, and the way he kissed-she felt like she would be happy with this man. No, she decided after gazing into his eyes, she would be happy with him.

"All right." she smiled up at him, causing his heart to beat irregularly. They sealed that promise with a kiss.

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--Two years later--

Misao sat happily in their new home in the city, cradeling a baby to her chest and watching her little brother toddle about under her husband's watchful eye.

Everything had turned out perfectly. Misao was very happy with her life, and as she stood up to go sit by her husband, she knew that she had made the right decision. Little did she know that Aoshi was thinking the exact same thing as he put an arm about his wife and child, still watching the little boy.

* * *

**--END NOTES--**

A bit of fluff makes the world go round, lol. X) I can't write lemony stuff, so that's as far as I go. Please review and tell me what you think!


	5. Chapter 4 Am I Good Enough?

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! Sudden bursts of inspiration are so nice, right?  
I thought I wouldn't have anything planned out for this for a couple of days yet, as inspiration is as flighty as always. Anyways, hope you like this, Tiger's Eye of Gold!! It is rather short, but it's the only scenario so far that comes to mind when I hear this song. I'll try to have another story lined up for the other song you mentioned as well.  
If anyone has a song that they would like to see a story set to, don't hesitate to mention it in a review. :3

**Disclaimer:** Um... right, last time I checked I did not manage to win the bid on Ruroken characters... too bad.

**-Am I Good Enough?-**

She gazed in open admiration at the man standing in the doorway, her sapphire blue eyes still filled with love and devotion, her rosy mouth curled into a welcoming smile as she rose to greet him.

Then, she noticed it. The metallic tang of blood that filled her nostrils upon nearing him, the tell-tale splatters of the ruby liquid that splashed his dark clothing.

Perhaps she wouldn't have noticed, perhaps she wouldn't have cared-if she wasn't so wrapped up in him. Hopelessly, endlessly, eternally bound to him with every inch of her once-innocent heart. Though, there were nights she sorrowfully wished she had never known this life.

His violet-amber swirled eyes gazed at her, no questions or emotions lurking in their deep depths. His mouth thinned as she stroked his long, long fiery mane and watched her grimace at the blood that came away in her hand. He knew she hated him for doing this, he also knew that she loved him deeply-it became an unhealing wound of his.

He was hers, even after running from the truth for so long-he came to face the truth. But the wear and tear of his 'job' was beginning to cause a rift between them. And he couldn't avoid it. Couldn't run from it. It stared him in the face when he came home, and haunted his thoughts both waking and sleeping.

He watched her ignore the blood and coax him away from the closed front door and into their room. His heart skipped a beat as she pulled him down for a chaste kiss.

"Kaoru..." her name spilled like dark honey from his lips.

She smiled up at him and pulled his unresisting form into their bathroom.

_Under your spell again  
I can't say no to you_

Clothes flew down like falling leaves upon the floor, as heated bodies clashed and joined with love and desire. Steaming water hid their reflections from the mirror, and as he clasped Kaoru to his bare chest, he sighed softly in thought.

_Shouldn't have let you torture me so sweetly  
Now I can't let go of this dream_

Noticing her curious look, he relaxed his hold on her petite figure and whispered against her ear, "I can't breathe, but I can feel, let me be good enough for you."

With a soft nod of understanding, she held her husband close. She let dreams and memories of yesterday slip away as she tried to embrace the here and now with all the passion of her still-young soul.

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She knew she drove him to the brink with whatever she did to him. She knew he couldn't say no to her. With a soul-piercing gaze, she wound her slim arms about his neck and toyed with his crimson strands of hair as he lowered them to the bed.

_Drink up sweet decadence  
I can't say no to you_

He lost himself within her. He was always vulnerable in her presence, and knew it. But, he locked eyes with his wife and seared her lips with a kiss that claimed her for eternity as his, he didn't care. He didn't see the need to, as long as he was enough for her.

"Tell me we'll have a normal life soon. Tell me we'll have a house and a family of our own." she whispered plaintively to her lover as they both drew away for air.

His heart wanted him to tell her yes, screamed at him to give in. What could he do in the face of such an onslaught?

"Soon, Kaoru. Soon." he whispered back, not daring to speak above a muted tone in fear of breaking the peaceful stillness that had settled after her relieved sigh.

He still waited for everything to crash down about his ears. He had never earned such a blessing in his entire life, and warily watched for signs that it would come to an end. Perhaps Kami-sama would let him keep this life, in return for his giving up his previous existence. Maybe he would be allowed to keep the woman by him, and see his children in a peaceful setting. He had already put in the necessary papers, and if only he'd be able to live long enough, he would soon be free of that hellish existence.

_Cause I can't hold on to anything this good enough  
Am I good enough  
For you to love me too?_

"Penny for your thoughts." Kaoru whispered with a smile.

He smiled in return, maybe not as wide or as cheerful a smile, but it was still genuine. "You."

She grinned at his response and snuggled up close to his side. "I love you."

_So take care what you ask of me  
Cause I can't say no_

Holding her close to his heart he closed his eyes and inhaled the jasmine perfume of her hair. They fell asleep in each other's arms, both dreaming of a time when everything would change for the better.

--_Good enough,  
I feel good enough  
It's been such a long time coming, but I feel good_.--Good Enough**-Evanescence**--

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**--END NOTES--**

I know people read these stories, so if you do happen to read this, please review!! I don't bite... hard. Honestly though, it's been proven that you can't send physical pain across the internet. And I'm not mean enough to send anything bad your way, so don't hesitate to click the button! Less than _five _minutes of your time makes me a _happy_ authoress!!  
Off that, I do hope you enjoyed this!


	6. Chapter 5 Rainy Days

Yay! An update for this neglected collection! Hmm, I'm procrastinating working on the next section of the seventh chapter of **Two Halves of a Whole**... and it's been raining cats and dogs here, thus this story. I think the next piece shall feature either MisaoxAoshi, TomoexKenshin, or SanoxMegumi, as I'm doing too much with KxK. Enjoy! (btw, this was mildly inspired by reading Meet.A.L.E.X.'s **Giving You Up** ((_go check it out if you haven't_!!)) and re-reading the Tomoe & Battousai arc ((_Vol. 19-21_)), just fyi)

**Disclaimer:** You know, I _could_ say I owned Kenshin if I made a doll that looked like him. Right... nice thought anyway.

**  
Rainy Days  
**

Rainy days were usually peaceful for Kaoru. The steady beat of droplets falling onto the dojo's roof was a soothing relaxant. The air always smelled fresh after its bath in the sky above, causing the young woman to itch for her bokken. Practicing her kata when everything felt at its absolute best was one of the few things she would allow herself to do for fun whenever possible.

But today...

Her crystal blue eyes, framed generously by thick, long ebony lashes, slid hesitantly to her right. Seated on the opposite end of the freshly scrubbed wooden porch leading into the dojo was the fiery-haired rurouni that had wandered into her life almost a year ago. She scrutinized his appearances cautiously, not wishing to be caught while doing so. His eyes-the oddest and most beautiful pair she had ever seen besides her mother's, seemed listless and withdrawn into some faded memory. The violet orbs had darkened ever so slightly, causing the man to look as if he were staring into the past, instead of the walls surrounding Kaoru's property.

She sighed softly, her breath warm upon her kimono covered knees as she drew them tighter to her chest. If only she could talk to him, if he would open up to her.

Perhaps he was thinking of _her_.

Yukishiro Tomoe.

Kaoru struggled momentarily with the surge of anguish that tightened her throat and gripped her heart with vice-like fingers. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, the girl closed her eyes and lifted her face up toward the roof.

Splish!

A single drop of rain poured through a tiny crack in the wood to land on her pale skin, running down her face like a tear. Another sigh escaped her petal-pink lips. It was really none of her business whether or not Kenshin was thinking about _her_, now was it? Never mind the fact that she was head over heels for the ex-hitokiri... burying her face quickly in her knees again, her face felt as though it were on fire. 'No! No! NO! I can't think about _that_ here!' It might have been wiser to have stayed in her room.

As the girl sank into her thoughts, she never noticed Kenshin's eyes clear and turn their gaze to her petite form with a small smile in their twin depths. He fingered a delicate, thin silver band in the hand hidden from her immediate view, retreating back into his thoughts when he noticed her doing the same. He could wait a little longer. Kami-sama knows he had probably waited a little too long for this step, but doubts were not such an easy thing to set aside and forget.

Neither were memories. He had dealt with those, however, and knew in his heart that Tomoe would wish for their happiness.

Now if only she would say 'yes'...

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-END NOTES-

Yes, it's very short. If I hadn't left it that way, I would've carried on about Tomoe and Kenshin's past, etc., which didn't quite belong with this as it's mostly Kaoru's perspective. She wouldn't know much about _that_, aside from whatever Kenshin told them, obviously, ne?  
Please review to let me know what you think!


	7. Chapter 6 So Hard to Let Go

(_yawns_) I'm so tired... coffee, please? Hahah, anyway, I wrote this late last night after hearing Lips of an Angel on the radio. The song inspired the following story, but I didn't quite want to go through all the drama that following the song completely would bring--so I simply borrowed some from the song and went on my way. :)

**Disclaimer:** ... still don't own **Rurouni Kenshin**. (_snaps fingers_) Drat.

**:: So Hard to Let Go ::**

The phone rang shrilly into the silence of the dark bedroom. Groggily, Kenshin fumbled with the blankets and reached over to the night stand for the cordless phone, wincing as his eyes blurrily read the neon green digits on the alarm clock's face. It was almost midnight. Kaoru turned, groaning slightly in her sleep, dark lashes fluttering lightly against her pale skin as the disturbing noise continued. A slender, calloused hand grabbed the offending phone and answered it as quietly as possible. "Hello?"

"Kenshin?"

Violet eyes opened widely, tiredness nearly forgotten as he slid from the bed. "Tomoe?" his voice, still husky from sleep, was filled with confusion. "Why're you calling so late? Is everything okay?"

At the other end of the line, Tomoe paced her room, her dark hair down and tumbled like an ebony waterfall about the pale skin of her shoulders. A light lavender silk robe covered her thin nightgown, providing little protection from the night's cold that seeped into her apartment. Faint traces of tears could still be seen on her cheeks, even in the dim light caused by the single lamp turned on in the corner of the living room. "Everything's fine. I'm so sorry for waking you up, are you in trouble with Kaoru now?"

The man winced slightly at her voice, the slight tremble in it caused by tears. Running a hand through his long, messy bangs, he sighed softly. With swift, silent steps, he left the bedroom, closing the door behind him. "No, she's asleep. Have you been crying?"

She strained to hear the whispered tone of his voice, her dark eyes closed as her mouth curved up into a tiny smile. It was so good to hear his voice again. "If I told you no, would you believe me?"

"Did Akira do something to upset you? Is he there with you?"

"No. No, he's a wonderful man. We're going to be married next weekend, in fact. Your and Kaoru's invitation is already in the mail." her voice cracked slightly, even as she laughed. "It's nice to hear you say my name, Kenshin. I miss you a lot."

Kenshin moved to the kitchen, his eyes portraying some measure of worry as he rummaged in the cupboards for the jar of instant coffee. "Congratulations. Is there anything in particular you guys would like for a wedding present?" He knew Tomoe was having second thoughts about her upcoming marriage. He had had a little doubt when he married Kaoru last year, but everything had turned out well. The man hoped it would be the same for his ex-girlfriend. Kenshin set the glass jar down carefully on the ledge, wishing to make as little noise as possible. His wife needed all the sleep she could get.

She noted with a sharp stab of pain that he was studiously avoiding bringing up their past relationship. Granted, it had been over between them for nearly two years now--but with her marriage to Akira Kyosato in near sight, she couldn't help but think fondly of her time with Kenshin. Often she would wonder why she had let him go. She had been so foolish back then.

The woman's fingers curled tightly around the spiral cord attached to the base of her phone. "Anything would be fine, really. Though, I did hear from Akira that his mother will be supplying us with kitchen appliances, so if the two of you wouldn't mind-" her voice faded away at the last word.

Kenshin chuckled warmly into the phone, leaning casually against the counter after having grabbed a tall dark-blue ceramic mug from a shelf. "Understood. We'll figure something out." Leaning over, he turned on the tap and tried to ease the faucet from the cold water to hot water.

"I dreamed about you last night."

He nearly dropped his cup into the sink at her soft words. Violet eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed slightly as his slender auburn brows knit together in mild frustration, "Tomoe, I'm happily married."

"I know." she laughed, tears catching in the back of her throat. "Isn't it so odd, Kenshin? To think that just a couple of years ago, it was the two of us planning for a wedding."

"I wasn't the one who broke it off." he reminded her, his tone somewhat terse. Filling the mug up, he turned off the faucet with a little more force than was necessary.

Tomoe bit her lip, fighting off the foreign waves of sadness that threatened to overwhelm her. "I know." she repeated in an even softer tone. "It's just so hard to forget you."

The microwave began counting down the minute left until the water was heated. Kenshin rolled his neck, letting the vertebrae pop back into their places. Tension was creeping back up the muscles despite it, however. He really didn't need this right now, but both manners and conscience prevented him from ending the call. "I can't help you."

"Do you think-"

"I love Kaoru." he bit out firmly, anger finally raising its head and lacing his tone. "We were over years ago, Tomoe. Akira is a decent man, he'll take good care of you." He paused, then decided he might as well tell her, "Kaoru's pregnant. We'll have a boy come this fall."

Both were suddenly silent, Kenshin allowed the news to sink in and waited for her to speak first. Rousing herself from the stunning blow and smiled shakily, her dark eyes glistening. "...I'm sorry, Kenshin. I'm being foolish. Tell Kaoru I'm very happy for you both, and am anxiously awaiting pictures when the baby is born."

"I will." he responded gently. It was all he could do.

"Please don't be angry with me." she laughed faintly, wiping at her almond-shaped eyes with the back of her hand. "I do hope to see the both of you there at the wedding."

"We'll be there." The microwave went off loudly, causing Kenshin to curse quietly then flush as he heard Tomoe chuckle on the other end of the line.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

"I guess I'll talk to you later." Tomoe was proud of the fact that she had kept her voice from sounding wistful, and placed the phone down gently after they said their goodbyes. It felt more final now than it had years ago. The quiet woman allowed one burning tear to run its course down the smooth, porcelain skin of her face before she gathered her scattered fragments of resolve together. Never before had she felt so alone.

Kenshin looked up swiftly, hearing the soft footfalls of his wife approaching. He smiled at her winningly, eyes roving over her sleep-mussed, long raven locks and half-open sapphire blue eyes.

"Who was it?" she yawned sleepily, stepping forward into her husband's embrace.

"Tomoe."

Kaoru stiffened slightly in Kenshin's arms at the name. He stroked her back soothingly with one hand, while the other played with her hair. "She called to tell us that our invitation to her and Akira's wedding is in the mail. They both lost track of time tonight with the wedding details, and apologized for calling so late." At her meaningful silence, he continued, "I also told her about the baby." Violet orbs peered down into hers, "Are you mad at me? You probably wanted to tell her yourself, but I couldn't help it."

The woman looked up, her blue eyes narrowed and searching. Kenshin looked a little too innocent, but her tired mind didn't really want to care. She knew he loved her. She also knew if he ever tried to cheat on her--not like it was ever going to happen--she would kick his butt, pregnant or not. And even though she had wanted to tell everyone about the baby first, Tomoe had been one of the few people she had felt shy about telling the big news to. So, she'd forgive him for it this time. "It's all right. We're going shopping tomorrow, then?"

He grimaced slightly at the thought of the mall trip looming ahead, but nodded--feeling relieved that she didn't press the issue, "If you want to." A quick glance at the microwave clock had him wincing, "Later today, would be more accurate."

Kaoru grinned up at him, "We better get some more sleep then."

Kenshin mirrored her grin dryly, "Apparently." As his violet orbs followed his wife's retreating form, he felt grateful for the life he was now living and prayed that Tomoe would find as much peace as he had.

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--END NOTES--

Yes, I do realize that Tomoe is a little OOC. It's also AU. I really hate the ending... (_head-desk_) it's so lame! Sorry people... Next fic here will feature SxM, as I have yet to do much with them.


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